Nitta Yoshisada

Nitta Yoshisada (1301-17 August 1338) was the daimyo of the Nitta clan and a general of Emperor Go-Daigo during Go-Daigo's Rebellion. He was the leader of the resistance to the Kamakura Shogunate's Hojo rulers, and captured Kamakura in 1333. However, his army was defeated by his Ashikaga rivals in the 1338 Battle of Minatogawa, precipitating the Nanboku-Cho Wars between Go-Daigo's Southern Courts and Ashikaga Takauji's Northern Courts. Yoshisada's final battle was at Fujishima during the Sieges of Kuromaru, in which he led 50 horsemen against the Kuromaru Hosokawa garrison of Hosokawa Akiuji. His horse was hit by an arrow and he fought on foot until he was overwhelmed. Defeated, he cut his own head off.